Triptych
by Xenoglossy
Summary: It isn't really that complicated, Sasuke knows his new team will never become like family. KarinSasukeSuigetsu


**Triptych**  
_Cephied Variable_

* * *

"I've decided." Suigetsu says casually, stretching his arms above his head, "That I want you."

Sasuke tips his head and regards his traveling companion through bored, half lidded eyes. He flattens his lips into the most neutral expression he can manage and asks: "What do you mean by that?"

"Geeze, you're dense," Suigetsu grumbles, reaching out to press his palms to Sasuke's chest and knock him to the ground. He twists his mouth into a concentrated frown as he straddles the taller boy's hips, "What do I got to do? Write you a sonnet? Buy you flowers? Want me to wine and dine you first?"

"Don't be an idiot," Sasuke growls and tries to get up. The mist nin just giggles and pushes him back down, shifting his arms- elbow down- to liquid. He pins the leaf nin under a blanket of water and Sasuke's collar bones complain under the pressure- feel like they're going to _snap_. Suigetsu grins.

"Come on, Uchiha-" he rasps, grinding their hips together. In one hard, fluid movement he rocks forward and Sasuke bites back a gasp. His whole body twitches, but his arms stay pinned. He could probably break free with minimal effort, but it would probably involve _breaking_ a few of Suigetsu's ribs.

"This isn't complicated," Suigetsu whispers, flattening the length of his body to fit Sasuke's, "I'm not asking you to _mean_ anything by it. I just thought we could have some fun, right "Boss"?"

Sasuke answers by surging forwards into a messy kiss. Before the blood (Suigetsu's teeth are sharp and he doesn't know how to be gentle with them), the mist nin's lips taste like nothing. Like spring water- no tangible flavour. His skin is soft and malleable- unnatural- and his hair doesn't smell like anything but the wind rustling through it. This makes it easier. Sasuke figures this way he could be having sex with _anyone_. It's like he's sleeping with no one at all.

* * *

"Sasuke-kuuuun," Karin purrs and pouts in ways that make Sasuke want to hit her a little bit, but mostly he just finds her a little confusing. Mostly, she makes him a little _uncomfortable_. It's not the same as when Sakura used to try to trick him into post-mission dates. It's not even the same as when that Yamanaka girl used to tackle him at his desk before class. Karin showers him with the same kind of attention, but it's for a different reason. Maybe she wants him too, but mostly Sasuke figures Karin wants something _from_ him and until he's certain exactly _what_...

"You always look like you're a million miles away," whoever told her that look was endearing, Sasuke decides, is getting a chidori in the chest. She crawls into his lap and puts her lips to his ear, "Why don't you look at me?"

"Feh, I wouldn't worry too much about it-" a familiar voice chimes in. Karin gasps and jumps up, nervously adjusting her glasses with both hands. She glares at Suigetsu as he fully materializes behind Sasuke.

"You pervert!"

Suigetsu furrows his brow, "Why am I a pervert?"

"You were _spying_ on us!" Karin accuses shrilly.

"I wasn't _spying_!" Suigetsu exclaims, "Sometimes I'm water, okay! _Anyways_- how was I supposed to know there was anything going on here that I wouild be perverted for watching. Geeze-" Suigetsu puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head condescendingly, "Girls are so weird, huh Sasuke?"

"I wouldn't know." Sasuke intones without feeling.

"Heh, guess you wouldn't." Suigetsu chuckles, ducking down to his knees and reaching out to wrap his arms around Sasuke's shoulder, "Although like Karin said, it's like you're always thinking about someone else. I wondered if maybe you had a girl waiting for you back in the Leaf." Sasuke _lets_ Suigetsu touch him and Karin reels back a bit, her eyes flickering in confusion, "Actually," Suigetsu continues lightly, "It's more like he's got a boy waiting for him, right?" he chuckles and grins toothily at Karin.

"W-w-what-" Karin stutters, flushing as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "What do you mean by _always_?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes.

"You didn't know?" Suigetsu wonders incredulously, pulling back the collar of Sasuke's shirt to reveal a crescent of clean bite marks.

Karin pouts and leans forwards again, poking an indignant and accusatory forefinger over Sasuke's shoulder and into Suigetsu's nose, "See- you are a pervert! Do you always have to be so disgusting!? Are you _molesting_ him?"

Suigetsu doesn't flinch or react, just widens his grin, "I'll share." he emphasizes both words, but especially the part about _sharing_.

Karin looks halfway between flustered, scandalized and honestly _interested_. Sasuke just presses his eyes shut and makes an irritated noise in the back of his throat. He reminds himself that as annoying as they may be, Karin and Suigetsu are above all things _useful_. When he opens his eyes again, Karin's simpering, sugary-sweet smile has returned. She settles herself onto his lap and daintily wraps her arms around his neck, resting her forearms on Suigetsu's elbows.

"I promise to behave myself." she whispers coyly.

"If this is the only way you two will get along," Sasuke sighs, sloping his shoulders as Suigetsu's hands slip inside his robes, "- we have a problem."

* * *

Juugo hasn't said anything for a few days which- according to Sasuke's admittedly limited experience- could either be bad news, or mean nothing at all. He sits beside the taller boy and rests his arms on his knees. The sun is going down.

"I heard-" Juugo begins hesitantly, threading his fingers together nervously, "I mean- Kimimaro told me that you were... like us. Like us, you came to Orochimaru of your own will."

Sasuke's shoulders stiffen. Juugo notices his discomfort and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry. I won't think any differently of you if you did, however-"

"It's true," Sasuke exhales too quickly. His voice is a little less guarded than he'd like. He's practiced too long to let it slip like that. "I wanted Orochimaru to teach me," Sasuke explains lowly. He lifts his arms and lets his sleeves pool at his elbows. Between sleeve and glove is an expanse of scars where Naruto grabbed his arm a little too hard. Sasuke hates looking at them; Naruto doesn't have scars from Sasuke that anyone can see, "To defeat Itachi, there was something I needed from him- he taught me everything but that one thing. He said I was... too weak."

Juugo threads and un-threads his fingers again while listening, "What was it you wanted to learn?" he asks after a moment. There's honest curiosity in his question, but it's not an innocent one. Juugo wants to know if Kimimaro's life was worth his: there is a question hidden inside every question and Sasuke is all too aware of what it feels like to be judged by your every word and action.

He watches Suigetsu and Karin snipe at each other in the distance as they prepare dinner. _He's_ sitting on the ground with a quizzical expression and not enough fire-starting skills. _She's_ towering over him with her hands on her hips barking orders. Something about this should seem vaguely familiar. Sasuke _knows_; there is an intense feeling of deja vu churning and turning deep in his gut, but nothing more. He's comforted by the blank face he's learned to keep and that with these three, it's not a concentrated effort. _They won't become family_, he knows, _I'll never care about them._

"Orochimaru was wrong," Sasuke says quietly, not meeting Juugo's gaze, "He didn't think I could kill my heart."

**fin.**


End file.
